SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlightFathom SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR).

SOBRsure sales activities in Australia and New Zealand have been initiated through an international channel partnership with Drug Testing Business Success

Drug Testing Business Success has a 14-year history representing the world's most widely-used ankle bracelet for alcohol detection

The global alcohol sensor market was valued at $2.3 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach $6.3 billion by 2030

SOBRsafe's products are geared toward behavioral health, justice, and consumer markets – and well-positioned for licensing and integration

SOBRsafe (NASDAQ: SOBR), a provider of next-generation transdermal alcohol detection solutions, recently announced that it has initiated SOBRsure(TM) sales activities in Australia and New Zealand through an international channel partnership with Drug Testing Business Success – the region's leading drug and alcohol testing provider. Drug Testing Business Success has extensive experience in the transdermal alcohol detection industry, representing the world's most widely-used ankle bracelet for 14 years (https://ibn.fm/hjnG5).

SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR) is a provider of a game-changing transdermal (touch-based) alcohol detection technology that can improve workplace safety and provides advanced screening and monitoring solutions for the behavioral health industry.

Alcohol misuse is the fourth leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and the seventh worldwide. Nearly half of all industrial accidents with injuries are alcohol-related, and 1-in-10 U.S. commercial drivers tests positive for alcohol – the highest rate in the world. Despite these statistics, prevention and monitoring solutions have not kept pace with this epidemic. Legacy detection technologies are invasive and inefficient, unhygienic and unconnected. SOBRsafe believes there is a better way.

The company has developed a patent-pending alcohol detection device called SOBRcheck™ for use in detecting alcohol in humans, with just the touch of a finger. SOBRsafe’s next-generation transdermal technology detects and instantaneously reports the presence of alcohol as emitted through a user’s skin. No breath, blood or urine sample is required. SOBRsafe believes its technology is a superior, hygienic alternative to traditional breathalyzers for frontline, preventative applications.

With a powerful backend data platform, SOBRsafe provides humane, passive and connected alcohol detection for the behavioral health, transportation, oil and gas, judicial and consumer markets.

A preventative solution in historically reactive industries, SOBRsafe technology is being deployed for commercial fleets, workplaces, alcohol rehabilitation, probation management and teen drivers. This monitoring technology helps prevent intoxicated workers from taking the factory floor or drivers from receiving the keys to a truck, bus or family car. An offender is immediately flagged, and an administrator is empowered to take the appropriate corrective actions.

SOBRsafe technology is commercially available for access control (SOBRcheck), wearable use (SOBRsure™) and licensing or white labeling.

The company is headquartered in the Denver (CO) Technology Center.

Products

The SOBRsafe technology is integrated within the company’s robust and scalable data platform, producing statistical and measurable user and business data.

SOBRsafe™

With a mission is to save lives, increase productivity, create significant economic benefits and positively impact behavior, SOBRsafe developed the scalable, patent-pending SOBRsafe™ platform for non-invasive alcohol detection, real-time reporting and historical data aggregation.

SOBRsafe is a solution that has broad applications in behavioral health, fleet and facility safety, youth drivers and judicial markets.

SOBRcheck™

SOBRcheck is the company’s stationary identification and alcohol monitoring product, providing a quick, specific-point-in-time test for the presence of alcohol. In hygienic, real-time fashion, SOBRcheck verifies user identity and determines the absence or presence of alcohol.

SOBRcheck provides an administrator immediate results – delivered securely – to aid in the efficient management of an existing substance abuse policy.

SOBRsure™

SOBRsure is the company’s transdermal, alcohol-detecting wearable. SOBRsure provides continuous, mobile alcohol monitoring. The band’s advanced alcohol safety technology discreetly detects and instantaneously reports the presence of alcohol in the body. Additionally, SOBRsure provides app-based alcohol detection alerts, pinpoint location tracking and band-removal notifications.

The SOBRcheck and SOBRsure revenue models consist of two components: (1) a hardware device purchase and (2) a recurring monthly SaaS subscription fee.

Design, manufacturing, quality testing and distribution for all SOBRsafe devices takes place in the U.S.

 

Market Opportunity

A report from Data Bridge Market Research, an international market research and consulting firm, estimated the global alcohol sensor market at $2.3 billion in 2022. The market is forecast to reach a value of $6.3 billion by 2030, recording a CAGR of 13.7% over the forecast period.

Market growth drivers, as cited by the report, include rising alcohol consumption rates, more stringent laws pertaining to alcohol consumption and new, more effective technologies that facilitate detection and enforcement.

Greater awareness of alcohol consumption as a potential threat to public and workplace safety has led to increased emphasis on preventing operation of motor vehicles and machinery by those under the influence of alcohol and promoting responsible alcohol consumption, as the report details.

Management Team

David Gandini is Chairman and CEO of SOBRsafe. He most recently served as president of IPS Denver, a bank card personalization company. Prior to that, Dave was the COO at First World Communications, a U.S. internet and data center provider, and participated in its successful IPO. He previously founded Pace Network Services and facilitated a successful exit to ICG Communications. Dave also co-founded Detroit-based Digital Signal in the fiber optic long haul market sector, where he executed a successful exit to SP Telecom.

Chris Whitaker, CPA, is CFO of SOBRsafe. Previously, Chris had served as the Company’s Vice President of Finance and Accounting. He has held various executive finance positions with large public multi-national corporations and small entrepreneurial companies throughout a progressive 30-year career that began with KPMG. Chris was formerly President – Americas and Vice President of Finance and Administration for public, multinational corporation Elixinol. He also served as the Managing Director of AEGIS Financial Consulting, leading a team of consultants in providing fractional CFO and financial consulting services to a wide variety of businesses in the public and private sectors.

Scott Bennett is EVP, Business Operations at SOBRsafe. He has more than 20 years of experience as a senior executive in technology-driven enterprises. Prior to joining SOBRsafe, he co-founded cybersecurity firm GBprotect and served as its COO until its successful sale to Nuspire. He previously served as Chief Technical Officer/Chief Information Security Officer of fintech businesses Catalyst Card Company and Integrated Printing Solutions.

SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR), closed Monday's trading session at $0.7202, up 4.3768%, on 43,528 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.2004/$3.16.

Recent News

• SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR) - SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR) Announces SOBRsure(TM) Sales Activities in Australia and New Zealand
• InvestorNewsBreaks - SOBR Safe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR) Publishes Three Successful Case Studies from Installed Customers
• SOBRsafe Inc. (NASDAQ: SOBR) Technology Gains Momentum as Fourth Company Implements SOBRsafe Products

SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) .

SuperCom (NASDAQ: SPCB), a global provider of secured solutions for the e-government, Internet of Things ("IoT") and cybersecurity sectors, has secured a new contract with an established California services provider in the judicial sector. According to the announcement, the contract is already operational and generating revenue; it also has long-term growth potential. SuperCom was awarded the contract over a long-time incumbent competitor, a reflection of the potential for the company's new PureOne solution as well as its vision of expanding its footprint in the U.S. market and the competitive edge provided by delivering superior technology solutions. "We are pleased to announce a second new contract in North America since the start of 2024, reflecting momentum and reputation in the industry," said SuperCom CEO and president Ordan Trabelsi in the press release.

"This collaboration showcases not only our ability to compete in the market successfully but also our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. Introducing our PureOne solution was a game-changer in securing this contract. It underscores our competitive edge and commitment to providing innovative and superior technology solutions. By securing this contract and displacing an incumbent competitor, we further reinforce our position as a market leader. We view our recent wins as indicators of our growing influence and expansion potential in North America and worldwide."

To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/r17TW

SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) provides secured solutions for the e-government, IoT and cybersecurity sectors. Since 1988, the company has been a trusted global provider of traditional and digital identity offerings, providing cutting-edge electronic and digital security solutions to governments and organizations, both private and public, around the world.

SuperCom’s mission is to revolutionize the public safety sector worldwide through proprietary electronic monitoring technology, data intelligence, and complementary services.

The company is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with offices in California and other regions in the U.S.

Business Units

IoT and Connectivity

SuperCom IoT products and solutions provide advanced electronic monitoring solutions and services to criminal justice agencies, enabling customers to detect unauthorized movement of people, vehicles, and other monitored objects. The company provides an all-in-one, field-proven PureSecurity offender monitoring suite, accompanied by services such as GPS monitoring, home detention, domestic violence prevention, and more. The company’s services are specifically tailored to meet each client’s needs.

SuperCom’s proprietary Puresecurity suite of hardware, connectivity, and software components is the foundation for its criminal justice services and offerings. SuperCom is leveraging its extensive technology expertise to implement groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into various parts of its core offerings. By leveraging the power of AI, SuperCom’s PureSecurity platform can offer new abilities, such as amplified data analysis, predictive modeling, and streamlined automation – all geared toward optimizing decision-making and operational efficiency.

Competitive advantages of SuperCom’s technology include:

• Long Battery Life (No Tag Charging Required)
• Ultra Lightweight Form Factor
• Next-Gen Location Tech
• Protection of Domestic Violence Victims
• And More

 

Cybersecurity

In 2015, SuperCom identified the cybersecurity market as a fast-growing space with significant advantages due to synergistic technologies and a shared customer base with its e-Gov and IoT business units. Consequently, SuperCom strategically acquired Prevision Ltd., a company with a strong presence in the market and a broad range of competitive cybersecurity services.

During the first quarter of 2016, SuperCom acquired Safend Ltd., an international provider of cutting-edge endpoint data protection guarding against corporate data loss and theft through content discovery and inspection, encryption methodologies, and comprehensive device and port control.

Both acquisitions significantly expanded the breadth of the company’s global cybersecurity capabilities.

e-Gov

Through proprietary e-government platforms and innovative solutions for traditional and biometrics enrollment, personalization, issuance, and border control services, SuperCom has helped governments, and national agencies design and issue secured multi-identification, or Multi-ID, documents and robust digital identity solutions to their citizens, visitors, and lands.

The company has focused on expanding its activities in the traditional identification, or ID, and electronic identification, or e-Gov, markets, including the design, development, and marketing of identification technologies and solutions to governments in Europe, Asia, America, and Africa using SuperCom’s e-Government platforms.

Market Opportunity

Data from Berg Insight estimates the market for electronic monitoring solutions will grow from $1.2 billion in 2021 to $2.1 billion in 2026, marking a CAGR of 10.8% for the forecast period.

High recidivism rates, prison overcrowding, and soaring incarceration costs are some factors that are driving the electronic monitoring of offenders’ market growth.

An analysis by ReportLinker forecasts that the global cybersecurity market will grow from an estimated value of $173.5 billion in 2022 to $266.2 billion by 2027, achieving a CAGR of 8.9% for the period.

The increased number of data breaches worldwide, the ability of malicious actors to operate from anywhere in the world, the links between cyberspace and physical systems, and the difficulty of reducing vulnerabilities and consequences in complex cyber networks are some factors driving the cybersecurity market growth.

Management Team

Ordan Trabelsi is President and CEO of SuperCom. He has over 15 years of experience as CEO, growing high-tech companies globally. He also has experience in research and development and product innovation, as well as hands-on experience in cybersecurity, encryption, advanced mathematics, and mobile and internet network technologies. Prior to joining SuperCom, he served as co-founder and CEO of Klikot Inc., a global social networking company. He holds an MBA from Columbia University and a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from The Technion: Israel Institute of Technology.

Barak Trabelsi is COO of SuperCom. He has expertise in big data, cyber, mobile, and internet network technologies, as well as extensive experience in product development and strategies. Prior to joining SuperCom, he served as Senior Product Manager at Equinox Ltd. Before that, he served for four years as VP of R&D at Sigma Wave, a wireless, security, and internet-focused company. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Business, as well as an MBA from Tel Aviv University.

Gil Alfi is VP of Sales at Safend Ltd., SuperCom’s cybersecurity subsidiary. He joined SuperCom in 2016 as VP of Business Development for Safend. He has more than 18 years of experience in technology companies. He served as an R&D team technology lead for more than seven years and as Director of Product Management for various telecom and wireless companies for more than 10 years. Prior to joining SuperCom, he served as Regional Sales Director at Safend, managing sales regions in Europe and Africa. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science and Mathematics and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from Bar-Ilan University.

SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB), closed Monday's trading session at $0.2248, up 22.4401%, on 71,619,363 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.16/$2.22.

Recent News

• SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) - InvestorNewsBreaks - SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) Reinforces Position as Market Leader with Announcement of New EM Contract in California
• TechMediaBreaks - SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) Bringing Tried and Tested Solutions to Governments Worldwide
• SuperCom Ltd. (NASDAQ: SPCB) Highlights its Offender Monitoring Solutions Amid Ongoing Stalking Conversation During National Stalking Awareness Month

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0).

Sekur Private Data (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) provides secure and private communication services that allow governments, organizations and individuals to communicate sensitive information and data without compromising safety and integrity. "The average cost of a data breach globally in 2023 was $4.45 million, a 15% increase over three years. With the high cost of data breaches worldwide, Sekur's privacy communications suite of services was created to make secure communications affordable and available in monthly and yearly subscription plans. The company's solutions include: SekurMail(R) with SekurSend/SekurReply, an encrypted email service offering a private, safe and powerful tool to communicate with everyone within or outside the Sekur ecosystem; SekurVPN(R), which creates a secure, encrypted connection between clients' devices and the internet, giving safe access to the web by routing connections through the company's wholly-owned Swiss servers; and SekurMessenger(R), a Swiss-hosted private and secure messaging communications app that provides secure and private chat, self-deleting chat, voice recording, and file transfer via any mobile device, tablet or desktop computer," a recent article reads. "Sekur owns 100% of its infrastructure and, unlike its competitors, does not rely on third-party cloud services."

To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/Cd3N9

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure and private communications. The company distributes a suite of encrypted e-mails, secure messengers and secure communication tools. Sekur Private Data Ltd. sells its products through its own website at www.Sekur.com, approved distributors, and telecommunications companies. Sekur Private Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide.

Customer information is completely confidential and safely stored in Switzerland using military grade security. All data, whether physical, network-based or encryption security, is stored in bank-approved, state-of-the-art ISO-certified data centers used by Swiss and global banks and most United Nations organizations, as well as many corporations and governmental organizations. All user data is protected by the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act and the Swiss Federal Data Protection Ordinance, which offer some of the strongest privacy protection in the world for both individuals and organizations.

The company owns 100% of its own infrastructure and, unlike its competitors, does not rely on third party cloud services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure Cloud or Google cloud infrastructure.

Sekur Private Data has chosen Switzerland to locate its data storage because of the country’s neutrality, independence, strong privacy laws, long standing political stability and excellent international relations. Switzerland is also home to several large multinational corporations and is ranked as having one of the strongest and most competitive economies in the world.

The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.

Products

Sekur Private Data distributes a privacy communications suite offering encrypted and private email, the only Swiss-hosted privacy VPN, and a secure and private messaging application. All solutions cater to consumers, SMBs, enterprises and governments.

• SekurMail® is an encrypted email service offering a private, safe and powerful tool to communicate with everyone, either within the Sekur ecosystem or outside. SekurMail protects personal information and communications from being accessed by unauthorized parties. Its encryption and other security measures prevent messages from being intercepted, modified or tampered with, either in transit or while stored. SekurMail empowers the client to access information and communicate with anyone in the world, regardless of geographical or political barriers.
• SekurVPN® creates a secure, encrypted connection between the client’s device and the Internet, giving clients access to the web safely and privately by routing their connections through a server and hiding their online actions. All the data sent and received is hidden from prying eyes. This includes the clients’ Internet Service Providers, as well as potential hackers and even government surveillance agencies. It can also help clients bypass geographical restrictions and censorship.
• SekurMessenger® is a Swiss-hosted private and secure messaging communications app providing secure and private chat, self-deleting chat, voice recording and file transfer via any mobile device, tablet or desktop computer. Communications are transmitted only within secure servers. It’s designed for organizations that need to protect their flow of information and secure their communications with customers and partners. SekurMessenger is designed to provide military-grade encryption and privacy by ensuring that only the sender and intended recipient can read the messages exchanged. It works for both licensed users of the app and intended message recipients who do not have the app.

Market Opportunity

An analysis from ReportLinker forecasts that the global cybersecurity market will grow from an estimated $173.5 billion in 2022 to $266.2 billion by 2027, recording a CAGR of 8.9% for the period.

The increased number of data breaches worldwide, the ability of malicious actors to operate from anywhere in the world, the links between cyberspace and physical systems and the difficulty of reducing vulnerabilities and consequences in complex cyber networks are some factors that are driving cybersecurity market growth, according to the report.

The global data privacy software market was estimated to be worth $1.68 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow from $2.36 billion in 2022 to $25.85 billion by 2029, achieving an eye-popping 40.8% CAGR during the forecast period, according to a Fortune Business Insights report titled ‘Data Privacy Software Market 2022-2029’.

The widespread shift toward remote working culture, evolving government data privacy regulations and the rapidly increasing adoption of Internet-of-Things devices are among the major factors propelling market growth, per the report.

Management Team

Alain Ghiai is founder, CEO and Director at Sekur Private Data. He also founded GlobeX Data S.A. (GDSA) in 2007 and has served as Director and CEO since then. He founded GlobeX Data Inc. (GlobeX US) in August 2012 and has served as Director and CEO since that time. He attended the California College of Arts in San Francisco, where he earned a Bachelor of Architecture. He has over 15 years of experience in the software industry and was instrumental in taking Sekur Private Data public in July 2019.

Scott Davis, CPA, CGA, is CFO at Sekur Private Data. He is also a partner at Cross Davis & Company LLP Chartered Professional Accountants. His experience includes CFO positions at several companies listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. He spent four years at Appleby as an Assistant Financial Controller. Prior to that, he spent two years at Davison & Company Chartered Professional Accountants as Auditor, five years with Pacific Opportunity Capital as Accounting Manager and two years at Jacobson Soda and Hosak, Chartered Professional Accountants. He obtained his CPA, CGA in 2003.

Learn more about the company’s management team by visiting its corporate page.

Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQB: SWISF), closed Monday's trading session at $0.05083, up 5.7416%, on 900 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.036/$0.1576.

Recent News

• Sekur Private Data Ltd. (FRA: GDT0) (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) - TechMediaBreaks - Sekur Private Data Ltd.'s (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) Services Suite Making Private, Secure and Affordable Communication Possible
• TechMediaBreaks - Sekur Private Data Ltd.'s (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) Solutions Suite Designed to Offer Maximum Cyber Protection
• Sekur Private Data Ltd. (CSE: SKUR) (OTCQB: SWISF) (FRA: GDT0) CEO Discusses Preventative Measures to Reduce Risk of Data Leaks on "Weekly Hack" Segment

Astiva Health

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Astiva Health

Astiva Health, a leading healthcare provider that specializes in delivering personalized and comprehensive solutions to diverse communities, was spotlighted as a significant player in the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug ("MAPD") sector in a recent episode of the Bell2Bell Podcast. "The episode featured an exclusive interview with Astiva Health's Co-Founder and CEO Dr. Tri Nguyen, a renowned expert in internal medicine and cardiology. During the interview, Dr. Nguyen discusses Astiva Health's journey since its inception in 2020 and its expansion plans. He shared insightful details about the company's expansion to Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside, marking a pivotal phase in transforming healthcare delivery," a recent article reads. "One key highlight from the podcast was Astiva Health surpassing the 10,000-member milestone. Dr. Nguyen attributed this success to the company's philosophy, which emphasizes loving life at any age… Astiva Health's approach goes beyond providing medical care and prescription drugs. As Dr. Nguyen explains in the interview, it includes offering rich supplemental benefits to engage enrollees in a meaningful, healthy life. He emphasized the importance of patient involvement in successful medical outcomes, a cornerstone of Astiva Health's strategy."

To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/6sZIE

Astiva Health is a dynamic and innovative Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) health plan committed to reshaping the landscape of personalized and comprehensive healthcare. The company offers full medical, drugs, and supplemental benefits for Medicare enrollees, currently serving counties in California, including Orange, San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino. This broad coverage reflects Astiva Health’s dedication to reaching a diverse demographic and addressing the healthcare needs of individuals across Southern California.

Astiva Health primarily serves a heretofore underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander population, which positions it in a critical and expanding market segment and offers substantial growth potential. The company recognizes the diverse needs within its served communities and strives to bridge healthcare gaps through proactive and culturally responsive solutions.

Astiva Health cares about its members and works to establish lifelong relationships with them by providing a tailored approach to healthcare, offering multilingual solutions for customer service, marketing materials and educational resources. Health is an essential key to living a good life, and Astiva Health makes it a priority to help members love the life they live.

The company’s mission is to deliver an unparalleled level of quality care to its members. Astiva Health’s Medicare Advantage plans provide lower costs and additional benefits beyond original Medicare coverage.

Founded in southern California, Astiva Health has strategically positioned itself in a region with a dynamic and diverse population. The organization’s extensive network and culturally responsive approach to healthcare make it well-suited to cater to the needs of the local community, creating a competitive advantage in the market.

The company is based in Orange, California.

Healthcare Model

Astiva Health is not just another health plan. The company considers the uniqueness of its members and, therefore, the means for delivering quality care to each one. To best serve its members, Astiva Health has developed one of the most diverse networks in southern California, offering a selection of medical, drugs, and supplemental benefits including dental, acupuncture, vision and hearing plans tailored to the specialized needs of individual members.

The company’s health plans provide increasing levels of benefits to members in the counties it serves. Astiva Health’s Customer Care Support and representatives are available to assist members with any issues.

The organization’s proactive approach to overcoming language barriers for the Vietnamese communities demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and enhances accessibility – a key factor for future growth. The successful implementation of strategies for the Vietnamese community sets a precedent for Astiva Health’s ability to adapt and apply similar approaches to serve other ethnic groups in future expansions, broadening the potential impact of its services.

The company provides members access to experienced and dedicated providers and local pharmacies that work together with each member to pave a pathway toward better health. The company’s online directory provides members with a comprehensive list of providers to fit their specialized needs.

Astiva Health collaborates with a variety of partners who offer supplemental benefits to members beyond Medicare. Those benefits include transportation, vision, dental, hearing, fitness, tele-health, acupuncture and chiropractic. Astiva’s forward-thinking strategy not only fulfills a critical societal need but also ensures sustainable growth and transformative impact across diverse communities.

Market Opportunity

Medicare Advantage plans, since their establishment in 2008 as a lower-cost alternative for Medicare enrollees looking to save on monthly premiums, have been one of the fastest growing segments of the health insurance market.

According to a report by healthcare consultant Charts, nearly 31 million beneficiaries are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan in 2023, accounting for more than 48% of the total Medicare market. That represents 9.6% enrollment growth over 2022 totals, and the pace of growth is likely to continue, according to the Charts report.
Startup Medicare Advantage plans, a sector that includes Astiva Health, grew even faster for 2023, at a rate of 22% over 2022 totals.

Management Team

Dr. Tri T. Nguyen is co-founder and CEO of Astiva Health. He is a graduate of Stanford Medical School and is a board-certified expert in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. As founder, CEO and owner/operator of Avanta IPA, he is a committed leader in healthcare. His visionary leadership, hands-on experience and deep industry knowledge uniquely position him to guide Astiva to success.

Chi Luong is CFO at Astiva Health. She founded and operates HADD Group LLC, a company managing medical clinic services, including business contracting, finance, staffing and ancillary support for several medical clinics in San Diego. She is responsible for the expansion and daily operation of the business functions of the medical clinics managed by HADD Group, and she has extensive knowledge and experience in healthcare business development.

Viet Tran has over 30 years of experience in engineering research, development and management. He has made numerous contributions to national network security and technology. He led the initial Naval Interoperability Profiles that set a solid foundation for future naval airborne network development. He also led a team of 50 engineers, doctorates and scientists delivering an airborne network system for the Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aircraft. As Astiva Health’s Chief Operating and Technology Officer, member satisfaction has been his top priority. He is committed to protecting valuable data for Astiva members and providers. He constantly strives for leaner and more effective operations.

Tyler Diep is Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Provider Relations at Astiva Health. His responsibilities include handling special projects for the board of directors, as well as overseeing the sales, marketing and provider relations department. During his tenure, he tripled the membership of Astiva Health. He previously served as councilman and vice mayor of the City of Westminster, California. He immigrated to the U.S. with his parents and graduated from San Diego State with a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

Recent News

• Astiva Health - InvestorNewsBreaks — Astiva Health Marks Pivotal Phase in Transforming Healthcare Delivery
• Astiva Health Differentiating Itself in Medicare Market, Working to Provide ‘Robust, Stable’ Offerings
• InvestorNewsBreaks — Astiva Health Featured in Bell2Bell Podcast

Horizon Fintex | Upstream

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Horizon Fintex | Upstream

Upstream, the revolutionary retail trading app for stocks and NFTs powered by Horizon Fintex and MERJ Exchange Limited, is working to create economic development for foreign exchanges and their issuers. As part of that focus, the company has announced its Exchange Dual Listing Program for 2024.

"As it stands today, it is difficult for international investors to buy U.S.- and Canadian-listed securities," a recent Upstream blog stated. "Retail investors outside the U.S. and Canada don't typically have streamlined access to purchase NASDAQ, NYSE, OTC, TSX, TSX.V, CSE or shares from smaller exchanges around the world without going through a cumbersome process. This may be limiting issuers' ability to raise capital, increase liquidity and access new investors."

To meet this need, Upstream is offering companies that are already listed on stock exchanges such as NASDAQ, NYSE, OTC, EURONEXT, ASX, NSX, TSX, CSE, LSE, etc., to dual list on Upstream, resulting in the ability to access a global, digital-first investor base that can trade their shares using an app from anywhere in the world.

To view the full blog, visit https://ibn.fm/VnljR

Horizon Fintex is a software business specializing in compliant securities solutions. The company aims to facilitate the future of capital markets by leveraging the regulatory experience of Wall Street bankers and the proven track record of technology veterans to bring focus to compliance, efficiency, security and transparency.

Horizon’s flagship product is the revolutionary trading app ‘Upstream’, a MERJ Exchange Market, and the first regulated market powered by a blockchain to offer both digital securities and NFT trading. Upstream traders experience T+0 settlement, best bids and offers displayed on a transparent public orderbook that prevents predatory market practices – all from a user-friendly trading app.

Products

Horizon Fintex offers a full suite of end-to-end blockchain-enhanced software solutions to create a seamless experience for both issuers and investors. Its product suite includes:

• Securitization & Issuance – ETSware is an end-to-end Electronic Trading System streamlining capital raising from primary issuance through compliant secondary trading.
• KYC Compliance Onboarding – KYCware is a white label Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) compliance software solution offering best-in-class cryptographic security to compliantly onboard and verify user identity through a smartphone application.
• AML Screening Software – AMLCop offers advanced Anti-Money Laundering (AML) software to streamline the verification of user details against a proprietary database of global sanctions, politically exposed persons (PEPs) and watchlists.
• Cap. Table Management Tools – CustodyWare equips registered U.S. transfer agents with next-generation cap. table management software to manage securities on behalf of their clients pursuant to an SEC-registered or exempt securities offering.
• Exchange & Trading App Technology – Open Order Book offers Ethereum blockchain securities exchange software to power the next generation of trading venues for digital assets.

Upstream – The Horizon-Powered Trading App

Upstream is a joint venture with MERJ Exchange (merj.exchange), an affiliate of the World Federation of Exchanges.

Upstream aims to be the premiere global trading hub offering issuers around the world exposure to a digital-first investor base that can trade using USDC digital currency along with credit, debit, PayPal, and USD (fiat) to increase liquidity and enhance price discovery; while also offering investors access to dual-listed companies, IPOs, crowdfunded companies, U.S. & Int’l. equities, digital coupons and NFTs directly from a user-friendly trading app.

Upstream aims to unlock liquidity for investors of all levels while offering industry-leading levels of transparency, accessibility and investor protections enforced using Ethereum blockchain technology.

Management Team

Brian Collins is the CEO of Horizon Fintex. He founded the company in 2010. From 1999-2010, Mr. Collins was CEO of Abbey Technology in Switzerland, specializing in the design of trading software for Swiss banks. Prior to this, he worked for Credit Suisse in Zürich, designing and building proprietary equity trading solutions. Mr. Collins graduated in 1990 with a BS in Computer Systems from the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Mark Elenowitz is the company’s President. He is a Wall Street veteran with over 29 years of experience. Mr. Elenowitz was the co-founder of a U.S. broker dealer and is Managing Director of two U.S. broker dealers, responsible for advising clients on compliance, capital structure and capital market navigation. He was responsible for leading the first successful Reg A+ IPO of a company to list on the NYSE and others which listed directly onto Nasdaq. He is a noted speaker at Small Cap and Reg A events, including the SEC Small Business Forum, and has been profiled in BusinessWeek and CNBC, as well as several other publications. Mr. Elenowitz is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Business and Management with a BS in Finance and holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses.

Dr. Andrew Le Gear is the CTO of Horizon Fintex. Prior to joining the company in 2013, he worked as a software engineer with Dell Inc. (2012-2013) and Lehman Brothers and Nomura Plc. (2007-2012). Dr. Le Gear was a co-founder of Juneberi Ltd., a research-driven software tech start-up (2004-2007). He graduated in 2006 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Peter Hall is the company’s CIO. Prior to joining Horizon Fintex in 2011, he worked at Microsoft (2008-2011), Atos Origin (2004-2008) and AIT Group Plc. (1998-2002). Mr. Hall has held CISSP certification since 2010. He graduated from the University of Sheffield, UK in 1995 and earned an MS from the University College London in 2006.

Mike Boswell is the CFO of Horizon Fintex. A Wall Street veteran, he co-founded a U.S. broker dealer and served as Chief Compliance Officer. Mr. Boswell was also Managing Director of TriPoint Capital Advisors, a merchant banking and financial consulting company, and CFO of Mission Solutions Group, a privately held defense sector firm. He earned an MBA from John Hopkins University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. Mr. Boswell holds Series 24, 62, 63, 79, 82 and 99 licenses.

Recent News

• Horizon Fintex | Upstream - InvestorNewsBreaks — Upstream Offers Solutions to Hurdles for International Investors, Launches Exchange Dual Listing Program
• InvestorNewsBreaks – Upstream Celebrates >12.5K Users
• InvestorNewsBreaks – Upstream Further Unlocking Opportunity in the Future of Blockchain-Powered Trading

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX).

Lexaria, a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, just announced ambitious plans for the 2024 calendar year

The letter confirms that the 2024 plans have been made possible by significant strides that were made by the company in 2023

Lexaria looks to build on the momentum gained from the previous year, ultimately asserting market dominance and making 2024 its best year yet

Lexaria Bioscience (NASDAQ: LEXX), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, just announced its ambitious plans for the 2024 calendar year. In his annual letter, Chris Bunka, Lexaria's CEO, noted that this would mark the year that will prove all of the company's work of producing hard, factual scientific information worth it, accomplishments that were critical given 2023's challenges in the capital markets (https://ibn.fm/vcLob).

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX), a global innovator in drug delivery platforms, announced the final results from its completed human Pilot Study #1 that sought to evaluate the effectiveness of its patented DehydraTECH(TM) technology on the oral delivery of the glucagon-like peptide-1 ("GLP-1") drug semaglutide, available commercially in the branded product Rybelsus(R). "Most notable from its pilot study was the improved delivery of semaglutide to the bloodstream, which significantly improved blood sugar control. For one, in just 20 minutes after oral administration, the DehydraTECH-GLP-1 blood semaglutide level was about 261% higher than that of the control, a statistic that reflected the technology's ability to deliver drugs into the bloodstream faster. In addition, 24 hours after the ingestion of a single dose, the DehydraTECH GLP-1 blood semaglutide levels were approximately 44% higher than the control levels," a recent article reads. "The DehydraTECH-processed Rybelsus continued to reduce blood glucose even after eating. In addition, even as long as 24 hours after dose administration, Lexaria's DehydraTECH GLP-1 showed a 5.01% reduction in blood glucose level to baseline, an indicator of greater efficacy in achieving blood glucose reduction and helping attenuate the postprandial spikes in blood glucose experienced in the control group."

To view the full article, visit https://ibn.fm/feS53

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) is a global innovator in drug delivery platforms. The company’s patented technology, DehydraTECH™, improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) enter the bloodstream by promoting healthier oral ingestion methods and increasing the effectiveness of fat-soluble active molecules. DehydraTECH promotes fast-acting, less expensive and more effective oral drug delivery and has been thoroughly evaluated through in vivo, in vitro and human clinical testing.

DehydraTECH is covered by 21 issued and more than 50 pending patents in over 40 countries around the world. Lexaria’s first patent was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2016 (US 9,474,725 B1), providing 20 years of patent protection expiring June 2034. Multiple patents have been awarded since then and are expected in the future.

Lexaria has also collaborated with the National Research Council (NRC), the Canadian government’s premier research and technology organization. The company has been granted patent protection for specific delivery of nicotine, vitamins, NSAIDs, antiviral drugs, cannabinoids and more.

Lexaria began developing DehydraTECH in 2014 and has since continued to strengthen and broaden the technology. The company has no plans to create or sell Lexaria-branded products containing controlled substances. Instead, Lexaria licenses its technology to other companies around the world to offer consumers the best possible performance across an array of ingestible product formats.

The company’s technology is best thought of as an additional layer that providers of consumer supplements, prescription and non-prescription drugs, nicotine and CBD products can utilize to improve the effectiveness of their own existing or planned new offerings. Lexaria has licensed DehydraTECH to multiple companies, including a world-leading tobacco producer for the research and development of smokeless, oral-based nicotine products, and for use in industries that produce cannabinoid beverages, edibles and oral products.

DehydraTECH is suitable for use with a wide range of product formats including pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, consumer packaged goods and over-the-counter capsules, pills, tablets and oral suspensions.

DehydraTECH Technology

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH is designed specifically for formulating and delivering lipophilic (fat-soluble) drugs and active ingredients. DehydraTECH increases their effectiveness and improves the way active pharmaceutical ingredients enter the bloodstream. The major benefits to a subject ingesting a DehydraTECH-enabled drug or consumer product can be summarized by the following:

• Speeds up delivery – the effects of the product are felt by the subject in just minutes.
• Increases bioavailability – the technology is much more effective at delivering a drug or product into the bloodstream.
• Increases brain absorption – animal testing suggests significant improvement in the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier.
• Improves drug potency – more of the ingested product is made available to the body, so lower doses are required to achieve the desired effect.
• Reduces drug administration cost – lower doses mean lower overall drug costs.
• Masks unwanted taste – the technology eliminates or reduces the need for sweeteners.

Lexaria has demonstrated in animal studies a propensity for DehydraTECH technology to elevate the quantity of drug delivered across the blood-brain barrier by as much as 1,900 percent, initiating additional new patent applications and opening possibilities for improved drug delivery.

Since 2016, DehydraTECH has repeatedly demonstrated, with cannabinoids and nicotine, the ability to increase bio-absorption by up to five to 10 times, reduce time of onset from one to two hours to just minutes, and mask unwanted tastes. The technology is to be further evaluated for additional orally administered bioactive molecules, including antivirals, cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and nicotine.

Market Outlook

Lexaria’s ongoing research and development efforts are mainly focused on development of product candidates across several key segments:

• Oral Cannabinoids – a market estimated to be worth $18.4 billion in 2021 and expected to reach $46.2 billion by 2025.
• Antivirals – an estimated $52.1 billion market in 2021 that’s expected to grow to $66.7 billion by 2025.
• Oral Mucosal Nicotine – smokeless tobacco products, a $13.6 billion market in 2018, is forecast to grow at 7.2 percent annually through 2025.
• Human Hormones – estrogen and testosterone replacement therapies represented a $21.9 billion market in 2019, with a forecast CAGR of 7.7 percent through 2027.
• Ibuprofen and Naproxen – NSAID sales totaled $15.6 billion globally in 2019 and are projected to reach $24.4 billion by 2027.
• Vitamin D3 – the global market size was $1.1 billion in 2021, growing at 7 percent per year and expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2026.

Management Team

Chris Bunka is Chairman and CEO of Lexaria Bioscience Corp. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in several private and public companies since the late 1980s. He has extensive experience in the capital markets, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as corporate finance. He is named as an inventor on multiple patent innovations.

John Docherty, M.Sc., is the President of Lexaria. He is a pharmacologist and toxicologist, and a specialist in the development of drug delivery technologies. He is the former president and COO of Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP). He is named as an inventor on multiple issued and pending patents.

Greg Downey is Lexaria’s CFO. He has more than 35 years of diverse financial experience in the mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries, and in the public sector. He served for eight years as CFO for several public companies and has provided business advisory and financial accounting services to many large organizations.

Gregg Smith is a strategic advisor to Lexaria. He is a founder and private investor with Evolution VC Partners. He is a member of the Sand Hill Angels and held previous investment banking roles with Cowen and Company and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Dr. Philip Ainslie serves as a scientific and medical advisor to Lexaria. He is co-director for the Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health, Canada. He is also Research Chair in Cerebrovascular Physiology and Professor at the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development at the University of British Columbia.

Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (LEXX), closed Monday's trading session at $2.27, off by 1.3043%, on 204,199 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.6488/$3.5953.

Recent News

• Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) - TinyGemsBreaks - Lexaria Bioscience Corp.'s (NASDAQ: LEXX) Patented DehydraTECH(TM) Improves Delivery of GLP-1 Drug to Bloodstream
• Lexaria Bioscience Corp.'s (NASDAQ: LEXX) CEO, Chris Bunka, Shares 2023 Company Update and 2024 Roadmap in Annual Letter
• Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (NASDAQ: LEXX) Announces 2024 GLP-1 Human and Animal Studies Roadmap

Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF).

A new report by the World Gold Council shows that in 2023, the demand for gold hit new highs as a slowdown in China's economy and geopolitical tensions drove investors to the precious metal. Last year, total gold transactions came to 4,899 tons, a slight increase from 2022's figure of 4,741. In December 2023, the price of gold stood at $2,100 per ounce as retail investors and central banks increased their gold purchases. The biggest drivers of the metal's demand were the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and China's weak economy. The global head of central banks at the World Gold Council, Shaokai Fan, believes that these factors will continue to boost gold's prices this year. In a recent interview, Fan stated that 2023 was the second-highest year in history of the central bank purchasing huge amounts of gold. For two consecutive years now, central bank gold purchases have exceeded 1,000 tons. Based on this year's outlook, the World Gold Council notes that the purchase of gold may not reach 2023 levels. However, it adds, a drop in inflation could prevent a significant drop in demand. In 2023, inflation in America stood at 3.3%, which is higher than the Fed's target of 2%. Last week, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell stated that it was unlikely interest rates would be cut next month. The great market conditions that gold is enjoying positions gold exploration companies such as Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) well in terms of attracting investor interest.

Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) is a publicly traded exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec.

The company has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, classified as a silver-tin polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department of southern Bolivia. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property.

Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru, some 50 kilometers south of Barrick’s Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silver’s La Arena Gold Mine. La Victoria consists of eight mining concessions and eight mining claims encompassing approximately 89 square kilometers. La Victoria has good infrastructure, with access to road, water and electricity, and is located at an altitude that ranges from 3,150 meters to 4,400 meters above sea level.

The company has a strong management and technical team working diligently to uncover the value of both Iska Iska and La Victoria. Eloro is based in Toronto, Canada.

Projects

Iska Iska – Potosi, Bolivia

Iska Iska is associated with a Miocene possibly collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The property is wholly controlled by the title holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. It is located 48 kilometers north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi. This is an important mineral deposit type in the prolific South Mineral Belt of Bolivia. Eloro commissioned a NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited and is available on Eloro’s website and under its filings on SEDAR.

A fully financed drill program is currently underway on the property, situated near world-class deposits including Silver Sand, San Bartolomé, Pulacayo, San Cristobal, San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna, Choroma and Siete Suyos. Iska Iska is in the southwest part of the Eastern Cordillera, which hosts a number of major polymetallic mines and mineral deposits. Drilling and continuous channel sampling results have demonstrated some very high metal values, especially silver and tin, within an immense system, where mineralization has been encountered in every drill hole to date. The company believes there is excellent potential for world-class bulk mineable deposits.

La Victoria – Ancash, Peru

The La Victoria project, targeting gold and silver production, is situated near world-class, low-cost gold producers Pan American Silver and Barrick Gold Corporation. Located in Ancash Department, La Victoria sits on the western slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The property is located 12 hours from Lima, with a travel distance of 600 kilometers. The nearest road accessible population centers from La Victoria are Huandoval, Pallasca and Cabana. The project includes four principal mineralized zones in Peru’s prolific North-Central Mineral Belt – San Markito, Victoria, Victoria South and Ccori Orcco – with excellent potential for gold discovery. Operations at La Victoria are planned to proceed with a 2,000-meter diamond drilling program to test targets to outline potential resources at San Markito. Trenching and sampling confirmed high silver values and veins at San Markito in 2020.

Market Outlook

According to industry association The Silver Institute, the outlook for silver demand is exceptionally promising, with global demand forecast to rise to a record high of 1.112 billion ounces in 2022. The increase will be driven by record silver industrial fabrication, which is forecast to improve by 5%, as silver’s use expands primarily in solar energy and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. The institute states that government commitments to carbon neutrality have resulted in a rapid expansion of green energy projects, driving record photovoltaic panel installations which are expected to lift silver demand in this segment to an all-time high in 2022.

Rising demand in the electronics industry is also boosting the demand for tin, which is primarily used in solder. The electronics and electrical industries use solders containing 40-70% tin, which provide strong and reliable joints under a variety of environmental conditions. At present, the majority of the assemblers are using patented tin-and-copper-based solders. Mordor Intelligence estimated tin demand at 387 kilotons in 2021 and forecasts demand growth of 2.5% annually through 2027. Over the medium term, surging demand from the EV market and increasing applications in the electrical and electronics industry is expected to drive the market.

Management Team

Thomas G. Larsen is CEO of Eloro. He has more than 40 years of experience in the investment industry, specializing in corporate finance and management of junior resource companies, raising in excess of C$200 million. He previously held the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of Champion Iron Limited. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Champion Iron Mines Limited.

Dr. Bill Pearson is Executive VP of Exploration for Eloro. He has more than 40 years of direct experience in the exploration and production of minerals worldwide. He played an integral role in the acquisitions of Desert Sun Mining Corp. by Yamana Gold in 2006 and Central Sun Mining by B2 Gold in 2009. He was formerly VP Exploration at Desert Sun Mining and Senior VP at Central Sun Mining.

Miles Nagamatsu, CPA, is CFO at Eloro. He has over 30 years of experience in accounting, management, lending, restructurings and turnarounds. Since 1993, he has acted as a CFO of public and private companies primarily in the mineral exploration and investment management sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

Osvaldo Arce Burgoa is General Manager at Eloro. He is a geological and mineral processing engineer with 26 years of experience in Bolivia. He is a former President of the Bolivian Geological Society, Main Technical Advisor of the National Mining Corporation (COMIBOL) and has served as exploration manager and chief geologist at various mining and exploration companies. He has authored two books on Bolivian geology and holds a doctorate in mining engineering from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

Eloro Resources Ltd. (OTCQX: ELRRF), closed Monday's trading session at $1.08, off by 1.6393%, on 15,903 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is and the stock's 52-week low/high is $1.026/$3.135.

Recent News

• Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) - Weakening Chinese Economy, Geopolitical Tensions Push Gold Prices to Record Levels
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) (FSE: P2QM) Releases Report on Expanded IP Surveys at Iska Iska Project
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX.V: ELO) (OTCQX: ELRRF) (FSE: P2QM) Reports on Bulk Metallurgical Test Program at Iska Iska Project

Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN).

Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can ease multiple sclerosis diagnosis and produce more accurate findings. Led by Emily Baadsvik and Markus Weiger from ETH Zurich's Institute for Biomedical Engineering, the research team created a technique to map myelin sheath conditions for more accurate diagnoses. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling neurological condition that affects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It occurs when the immune system becomes dysfunctional and starts to attack myelin, the protective sheath that covers and protects nerve fibers, resulting in communication problems between the rest of the body and the brain. The successful deployment of this new MRI technique in the field can increase the odds of successful treatment of MS patients when diagnosed early. The novel MS treatments from entities such as Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) would be prescribed sooner when disease progression is still low.

Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving mitochondrial health and protecting neuronal function to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Its lead drug candidate is CNM-Au8®, an oral suspension developed to restore neuronal health and function by increasing energy production and utilization by driving critical cellular energy producing reactions that enable neuroprotection and remyelination to increase neuronal and glial resilience to disease-relevant stressors. CNM-Au8 is being studied in various clinical trials, including the Harvard/MGH Healey ALS Platform clinical trial for patients with ALS; RESCUE-ALS, a completed proof-of-concept clinical trial in patients with early symptomatic ALS; the REPAIR trials, completed target engagement clinical trials showing brain energy metabolite change with CNM-Au8; and a completed MS clinical trial for the treatment of visual pathway deficits in chronic optic neuropathy for remyelination in stable relapsing MS. The company also has a nanotherapeutic platform of drug discovery.

CNM-Au8

CNM-Au8, Clene’s lead asset, is a highly concentrated aqueous suspension of catalytically active, clean-surfaced, faceted gold nanocrystals. Multiple pathogenic insults contribute to neuronal death. Mitochondrial dysfunction and NAD+ decline is a common final pathway in neurodegeneration, with NAD+ as a critical determinant of cell survival and function. CNM-Au8’s catalytic mechanisms target the energetic deficits, oxidative stress and accumulation of misfolded proteins that are common to many neurodegenerative diseases.

The unique catalytic mechanism of action of CNM-Au8 is hypothesized to act as a neuroprotective and remyelinating therapy in neurodegenerative disease states in order to: (1) drive, support and maintain beneficial metabolic and energetic cellular reactions within diseased, stressed and/or damaged cells, (2) directly catalyze the reduction of harmful, reactive oxygen species (“ROS”) and (3) promote protein homeostasis via activation of the heat shock factor-1 pathway, recognized to dampen the cytotoxicity caused by misfolded and denatured proteins, which are known to occur ubiquitously in neurodegenerative diseases.

CNM-Au8 is used in combination with other agents, has no known drug-drug interactions, and is designed to improve function and survival. The clinical effects of both function and survival were seen in its clinical ALS trials, as earlier announced.

More than 500 estimated years of collective exposure across ALS, MS, and Parkinson’s disease participants in CNM-Au8 clinical trials and Expanded Access Protocol (compassionate use) programs have been recorded without any observed safety signals.

CNM-Au8 is a federally registered trademark of Clene Inc. Clene, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with R&D and manufacturing operations in Maryland, began in 2013.

Market Opportunity

ALS is the most prevalent adult-onset progressive motor neuron disease, affecting approximately 30,000 people in the U.S. and an estimated 500,000 people worldwide, with a life expectancy of typically three to five years. Clene estimates that global ALS treatment sales will be greater than $1 billion annually within the coming few years. Additional treatments affecting daily function and survival remain the market need.

Additionally, there are more than 2 million MS patients globally, and Clene estimates the market size to be worth more than $23 billion annually. While the MS community has been successful at limiting relapses, non-relapsing MS patients continue to clinically deteriorate even while receiving effective immunomodulatory disease-modifying therapies (“DMTs”). A critical unmet medical need remains for therapeutic interventions that protect neuronal function and myelin health independent of immunomodulation to address progression independent of relapse activity.

Management Team

Robert Etherington is President, Director and CEO of Clene. He has more than 30 years of sales, marketing and leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Clene, he worked at Actelion Pharmaceuticals, the largest biopharma company in the European Union prior to its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2017, where he led that company’s U.S. commercial operations. He began his pharmaceutical sales and marketing career at Parke-Davis, a division of Pfizer, where he rose to the position of Team Leader overseeing the drug Lipitor.

Mark Mortenson is Chief Science Officer at Clene. He is co-inventor of the technology platform developed to produce the company’s therapeutics. He is the inventor or co-inventor on 32 other U.S. patents and hundreds of corresponding international patents. He is a former chief patent counsel responsible for 5,500 U.S. and international patents and patent applications. He holds bachelor’s degrees in physics and ceramic engineering from Alfred University, a master’s degree in materials science from Penn State University and a J.D. from George Washington University.

Benjamin Greenberg, M.D., MHS, FAAN, is Head of Medical at Clene. He is an internationally recognized expert in disorders of the central nervous system. He is currently professor of neurology and Vice Chair of Clinical and Translational Research in the department of Neurology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins, a master’s degree in molecular microbiology and immunology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and graduated from Baylor College of Medicine. He served residency in neurology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Morgan R. Brown is CFO at Clene. He has more than 30 years of finance and accounting experience, with 23 years at biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies. He has served in similar roles at Lipocine Inc., Innovus Pharmaceuticals, World Heart Corp., Lifetree Clinical Research and NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc. He previously worked at accounting firm KPMG. He is a CPA with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Utah State University and an M.S. in business administration from the University of Utah.

Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN), closed Monday's trading session at $0.42, off by 1.2462%, on 278,797 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 933,286 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.25/$1.99.

Recent News

• Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) - New MRI Procedure Eases Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) CEO Discusses MS Trial Results During Latest Proactive Interview
• Clene Inc. (NASDAQ: CLNN) Reports 'Unprecedented,' Statistically Significant Long-Term Clinical Improvements for VISIONARY-MS Trial Participants with Stable Relapsing-Remitting MS

Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (FRA: OF6B) (OTC: GXRFF)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (OTC: GXRFF) .

With major companies such as McDonald's Corporation and Walmart Stores naming sustainability as one of their top priorities in recent years, many companies are facing pressure to ensure they incorporate sustainability into their goods and service delivery. However, one of the main criticisms against corporate sustainability in the past few years has been that it contradicts the fiduciary duty of managers by not putting company shareholders first. Corporate sustainability refers to a business approach that involves pursuing social and economic strategies to create sustainable value for shareholders, company employees, consumers and societal value.A 2016 paper titled "Corporate Sustainability: First Evidence on Materiality" challenged this notion by outlining financially material environmental, social and governance ("ESG") factors that could help improve portfolio returns. The paper noted that sustainability practices are in line with activities that create shareholder value. For companies that aren't fully sold on the bottom-line benefits of implementing ESG best practices, a number of examples such as Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (OTC: GXRFF) (FRA: OF6B) are showing that it can be done.

Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (OTC: GXRFF) (FRA: OF6B) is a public oil and gas exploration, exploitation and development company focusing on conventional oil and gas reservoirs in Western Canada. The company uses its experience to develop, acquire and drill assets with potential for primary and secondary recovery.

Prospera is primarily focused on optimizing hydrocarbon recovery from legacy fields through environmentally safe and efficient reservoir development methods and production practices. It is in the midst of a three-stage restructuring process aimed at prioritizing cost effective operations while appreciating production capacity and reducing liabilities.

The company is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Operations

Prospera’s core properties include more than 42,000 cumulative acres across Cuthbert, Luseland and Heart Hills in Saskatchewan and Red Earth and Pouce Coupe in Alberta. In total, the company estimates that there are half a billion barrels of oil in place at these sites accounting for 20+ years of forward project lifespan, with as little as 8% of total reserves having been recovered via legacy vertical well technology.

Restructuring Initiative

In 2021, Prospera enacted a top-down reorganization. The early results of these efforts were on display in May 2023, when the company reported a three-fold year-over-year increase in annual revenue for 2022 alongside drastically reduced operating costs and record-high cash flow from operations.

Prospera noted in the news release that it has positioned itself in 2023 to execute the second phase of its development plan aimed at increasing production through medium-oil development in Alberta and leveraging horizontal wells to capture the significant remaining reserves in Saskatchewan.

During the company’s investor summit in August 2023, Prospera CEO Samuel David provided more information regarding this three-phase strategy:

Phase I

Prospera completed the first phase of its restructuring by optimizing operations at its existing assets and addressing legacy arrears and non-compliance issues.

At the beginning of this transformation, the company was producing just 80 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day. In Q4 of last year, Prospera peaked at nearly 1,200 BOE per day. Its breakeven is around 500 barrels per day, illustrating the opportunity for free cash flow. This prospect has driven Prospera’s capital development and optimization in recent quarters.

After a temporary slowdown in production due to harsh winter conditions, Prospera is currently producing about 800 BOE per day and anticipates an additional 300-500 barrels of daily production following the completion of ongoing site maintenance work.

This sustained increase has pushed the company’s NPV from roughly $3 million prior to the restructuring efforts to approximately $72 million today.

In an effort to build on this progress and maximize its available resources, Prospera piloted two horizontal reentries to assess a potential horizontal well transformation at its properties.

Phase II

Following up on the optimization efforts of Phase I, Prospera aims to commence a horizontal well transformation at its properties in the coming months. Based on its pilot wells from Phase I, the company has proposed 10 horizontal well locations at its Cuthbert and Heart Hills properties.

Prospera has likewise proposed eight medium light oil direction wells at its Alberta property, and it is exploring strategic acquisitions aimed at expanding its core area and diversifying its product mix.

Other facets of Phase II include piloting an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) application and continuing to execute its liability management goals and ESG initiatives. Prospera has already abandoned 60 vertical wells as part of its three-year LMR plan to reclaim surface land and reduce the environmental footprint of its operations.

Phase III

Beginning next year, Phase III of Prospera’s corporate redevelopment strategy will focus on continuing the company’s horizontal modular development to appreciate production and optimize recovery of remaining reserves. Prospera intends to implement full-scale EOR applications based on the results of its Phase II pilot program, which is forecast to optimize recovery by greater than 10%.

Prospera also intends to continue its acquisition strategy to diversify its product mix. Its goal, as detailed by in August 2023 investor summit, is to attain 50% light oil, 40% heavy oil and 10% gas – all while continuing to eliminate carbon emissions as part of its existing ESG initiatives.

Poised for Growth

Following its transformational efforts in 2022, Prospera is poised to achieve record growth in 2023. The company has forecast significant reductions in production costs through 2024, alongside sizable increases in daily production.

Prospera is currently exploring strategic acquisition targets to potentially increase its production beyond 5,000 BPD while expanding its reserve base to a billion barrels.

Market Opportunity

While the oil and gas industry faces long-term geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, there is a clear trend to secure supply in the short term. According to Deloitte, the global upstream industry ended 2022 with some of the highest free cash flows on record, driving reinvestment in hydrocarbons and overall investment in clean energy.

The Energy Information Administration recently forecast a dip in global oil inventories over each of the next five quarters, placing upward pressure on oil prices. The agency further forecasts a YoY increase in fuel consumption, exacerbating the effects of OPEC+ production cuts that are set to remain in place through 2024.

For Prospera, these forecasts are promising. The company aims to build on its recent financial growth in the coming months (Prospera reported a three-fold YoY increase in revenue to $13.9 million in 2022), hitting a projected $57 million in total revenue by the end of 2024 while working to expand its core area holdings through accretive M&A transactions.

Leadership Team

Prospera is led by a team with extensive, diverse petroleum industry experience spanning both reservoir management and operations of oil and gas assets. The team boasts a proven track record of reorganizing companies, structuring financing arrangements and positioning for growth.

Samuel David is the company’s President and CEO. He brings to Prospera over 32 years of experience in operation, development and management of oil and gas assets and companies. Mr. David holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Calgary. His background consists of both engineering and executive management experience with majors Petro-Canada, AEC Oil & Gas (now EnCana / Cenovus) and Husky Energy, as well as founding and operating juniors Ventura Energy and First West Petroleum. Mr. David has proven expertise in corporate planning, production, reservoir engineering, depletion strategies, EOR, property evaluations, acquisitions and divestitures.

George Magarian is VP Subsurface for Prospera. He is a professional petroleum geologist (APEGA) with over 36 years’ experience in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. After graduating with an Honors B.Sc. degree in Earth Science from the University of Waterloo, Mr. Magarian spearheaded many successful exploration programs, conducted evaluations for improved recovery schemes and assessed/exploited unconventional oil reservoir opportunities. He has held roles of increasing responsibility, from exploration geologist at oil industry major Petro-Canada and intermediates Anderson Exploration and Jordan Petroleum, to geoscience manager and VP exploration at junior companies Ionic Energy, Gentry Resources and Westfire Energy.

Chris Ludtke is the company’s VP Finance & Accounting. He is a high functioning finance leader with extensive expertise in finance, budgets and planning, accounting, economic evaluation, management, governance and sound decision making. Mr. Ludtke has 20 years of experience within the oil and gas, clean energy and renewables industries, including 12+ years working for Husky Energy before moving into an executive role in the junior oil and gas and hydrogen space. He graduated from the University of Lethbridge (Bachelor of Management) and is a Chartered Professional Accountant in the Province of Alberta.

Matthew Kenna is the CFO of Prospera. He has over 30 years’ experience leading organizations and helping them expand, drive efficiencies and grow profitability. Mr. Kenna is a professional accountant (CPA, CMA) and spent 15 years heading up the financial and operating departments at KUDU Industries, where he fostered financing arrangements, client relationships and manufacturing teams to take the organization from $35M to $150M in revenue. He has extensive experience turning companies around, growing them and building efficient organizations.

Prospera Energy Inc. (OTC: GXRFF), closed Monday's trading session at $0.0572, off by 4.0268%, on 276,225 volume. The average volume for the last 3 months is 148,452 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.0485/$0.134.

Recent News

• Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (FRA: OF6B) (OTC: GXRFF) - Two Factors Crucial to ESG Delivering Shareholder Value
• InvestorNewsBreaks - Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (OTC: GXRFF) (FRA: OF6B) Announces Plan for Transitioning to Profitability in 2024
• InvestorNewsBreaks – Prospera Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PEI) (OTC: GXRFF) (FRA: OF6B) Recaps Successful Year, Eyes Robust 2024 Development Plans

Software Effective Solutions Corp. (OTC: SFWJ)

The QualityStocks Daily Newsletter would like to spotlight Software Effective Solutions Corp. (OTC: SFWJ).

Software Effective Solutions (OTC: SFWJ) is among companies in the cannabis space paying close attention to the mounting calls for the rescheduling of cannabis to a Schedule III from a Schedule I substance per the Controlled Substances Act ("CSA"). "The call for cannabis rescheduling on the CSA list is not new, but it has gained momentum since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (‘HHS') sent a brief letter to the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration… ‘HHS is believed to have advised DEA to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act ("CSA"), and the law enforcement agency is now carrying out its own review before making a final determination,'" reads a recent article, which contains excerpts from an report in Marijuana Moment. "A change in the rescheduling would almost certainly benefit Software Effective Solutions, a global infrastructure and holding company in the cannabis industry. Operating as MedCana, the company currently has five divisions focused on pharmaceutical cannabis production, as well as a software company focused on managing processes for plant-to-patient operations. The recent acquisition of an irrigation and greenhouse technology company has rounded out MedCana's portfolio of holdings… The company is committed to building technology, laboratories, growing facilities, and scientific teams needed to provide pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts to the world."

To view the full article, visit https://cnw.fm/hpFXZ

Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) is a global infrastructure and holding company in the cannabis industry. MedCana currently has five companies focused on pharmaceutical cannabis production, as well a software company focused on managing processes for plant-to-patient operations. The recent acquisition of an irrigation and greenhouse technology company has rounded out MedCana’s portfolio of holdings.

MedCana’s focus is on developing clients and companies in Latin America, initially in Colombia, and partnerships with laboratories, research facilities and hospitals throughout the world. MedCana is building the technology, laboratories, growing facilities and scientific teams to provide premium pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts to the world.

MedCana’s goal is to be the world’s premier resource for pharmaceutical cannabis products. The company believes its advantage is its global view and reach. From initial cultivation to final product, MedCana aims to help partners produce pharmaceutical CBD and other extracts that will have no equal.

The company’s mission is to utilize its technology to partner with and develop companies that provide premium pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts with absolute integrity, sustainability and social responsibility. MedCana’s team of pharmaceutical scientists includes some of the most respected chemists in the world. They aim to ensure that the company’s customers and partners create premium cannabis extracts that meet the growing worldwide demand. MedCana’s software is designed to ensure traceability and quality from seed to finished product.

MedCana is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Colombia.

Production

MedCana announced in May 2023 the beginning of full-scale production of non-THC cannabis for export to Europe in response to high demand in that market. This expansion comes after the successful completion of full crop cycle testing and infrastructure development at production sites in Columbia.

The recent acquisition of the assets of Tokan Corp., a software company focused on creating an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform for the cannabis industry, and Eko2O S.A.S., a greenhouse and irrigation engineering company, has positioned MedCana for explosive growth in the region.

As a MedCana subsidiary, Eko2O SA will increase the company’s revenue potential in Central and South America. The subsidiary specializes in the construction and distribution of greenhouses and sophisticated irrigation platforms. A positive outlook has resulted from the company’s expansion as it investigates new opportunities for greenhouse and irrigation system installations in Panama and Uruguay. These opportunities are expected to accelerate Eko2O’s development and strengthen its position as a top supplier of innovative agricultural solutions in cannabis and other sectors that are quickly moving to high technology agricultural production.

In addition, MedCana has started talks with the government in Argentina about possible incentives for beginning operations in that country as part of its ongoing worldwide development strategy. Support from the Argentinean government and the start of new operations there would greatly increase MedCana’s market share in Latin America and solidify the company’s position as the market leader in the cannabis industry.

Market Opportunity

According to a report by Grand View Research, a San Francisco-based market research and consulting company, the global cannabis extract market was valued at $3.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 20% from 2023 to 2030 to be worth more than $15 billion.

Growing demand for cannabis extracts, including oils and tinctures, and the increased legalization of marijuana for the treatment of different chronic ailments like arthritis, Alzheimer’s, anxiety and cancer are driving the expansion of the industry. The marijuana derivative industry is flourishing due to a greater understanding of its various medical benefits.

Management Team

Jose Gabriel Diaz is CEO of MedCana. He has successfully built, grown and sold multiple telecom companies. He was senior vice president of sales at IP Communications, a national high-speed data provider. He also founded Reallinx, a national data carrier later sold to GTT Communications. Additionally, he is currently president of the A.E.M. Business and Entrepreneurship Association in Austin, Texas.

Claudio Jiménez Cartagena, QF, Ph.D. is Chief Scientific Officer at MedCana. He joined MedCana after working with Sosteli Pharma as Technical Director and serving as a director consultant for the Corporation for Agricultural Industrial Development at the University of Antioquia in Colombia. Before that, he worked as the scientific director at the Institute of Food Science & Technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry, a master’s degree in basic biomedical sciences and a doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Antioquia.

Julián Alberto Londoño Londoño, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President of Operations at MedCana. He previously served as general manager for the Corporation for Agricultural Industrial Development, and as Chief Scientific Officer at Sosteli Pharma in the Resource Management Department. He has developed multiple U.S. patents, and recently served as senior advisor to the Secretariat of Agriculture Development for the Government of Antioquia. He holds a doctorate in Chemical Sciences from the University of Antioquia.

Software Effective Solutions Corp. (OTC: SFWJ), closed Monday's trading session at $0.0539, even for the day. The average volume for the last 3 months is 2,062 and the stock's 52-week low/high is $0.000001/$0.09.

Recent News

• Software Effective Solutions Corp. (OTC: SFWJ) - CBDNewsBreaks - Software Effective Solutions Corp. (SFWJ) Committed to Building Capabilities to Provide Pharmaceutical-Grade Cannabis Extracts to the World
• Software Effective Solutions Corp. (SFWJ) Strengthens Position with Growing Number of Cannabis Studies
• Software Effective Solutions Corp. (SFWJ) Stands to Benefit If DEA Reschedules Cannabis